boorman



lgatented May 26, 1 931 lia EDWARD T. BOORMAN, OF MILLT'OWN, NEWb JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO KING PRESS, INC., BOROUGH OF CARLSTAIDT, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JEBSEY PROCESS OF FINISHING PLAYIKG CARDS Application filed January 14, 1929. Serial No. 332,573.

My invention relates to playing cards and has for its object thev production of an improved playing card, and to a process for coloring the same and particularly the edges thereof.

Playing cards have heretofore been ornamented on the backs, in colors, in various Ways, but it has not been considered practicable for various reasons to produce colored edges such-as l shall herein described. lVhere ornamental edges Vhave been desired, they have been gilded, follo* 7ing the usual method of smoothing, sizing, applying gold leaf, and burnishing. lt is to be understood of course that such cards are produced in quantities and are treated in large units composed of many individual cards.

I have discovered that a mixture in properI proportions of printeifs ink and clear varnish is suitable for application to the edges of cares, can be burnished, and is very durable when so applied. This varnish mixture is more durable than lacquer mixture for the reason that unless the paper stock is dried completely out to the edges, Vwhen the lacquer is applied and dries, it i 'ill commence to peel.

Cards treated according to my process may be of different colors as to the edges, having the edges for example either harmonious or contrasting with the colors of the backs. I produce a silver color' among others, by the use of aluminum metallic ink, which has preved very satisfactory in use, and harmonizes with many colors which are used on the baeks.

ll-laving discovered this improved method of producing and having produced an improved card thereby, I shall claim the same as to both the process and the product.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the steel mining plate and roller I employ.

Fig. 2 shows a plurality of decks of cards set Vup in a clamp showing the color roller applied to one edge thereof.

In putting my invention into practice I preferably provide a steel plate l or the equivalent, which may conveniently be say 18 X 36, and upon this I mix as indicated at Q-'in Fig. l the printers ink of the color desired, with clear varnish in such proportions as to produce a mixture thin enough to spread well, sufiiciently adherent to thoroughly cover the roller, and carrying a sutficient body of color to deposit it evenly and uniformly over the edges of the cards. Exact proportions for every case cannot be given, because the consistency of both ink and Varnish vary some- What.

The mixture is thoroughly worked up on the steel plate 1 by means of a suitable roller 3 having a somewhat resilient surface, such as rubber. The color being uniformly blended and spread upon the roller, Iam ready to apply the same to the edges of the cards which are prepared as shown in Fig. 2: ApproXimately forty decks of cards 4- are placed face to face with their edges registering, and clamped between opposite face plates 5 connected by tension rods 6 supplied with means such as the hand screws 7 for tightening up the plates thereon. At first the column of cards may be Warped and bent but after being straightened with wooden blocks is finally clamped in rigid column ready for treatment. The first step in this treatment is to sand the edges of the cards so as to make them perfectly smooth. This may be done by means of any suitable power driven sand wheel or bufifing wheel to which sand is applied. The corners however are done by hand, the decks being turned under a sanding roller to linish the edgesV between the corners, after which the cornersare finished. For this purpose wooden blocks earryingsand paper or blocks of sand paper may be employed. The decks being thus prepared, the roller 3 already described, charged with the blended mixture of ink and varnish, is passed over the edges of the stack until there is a uniform sufiiciently heavy deposit'of color. They are then allowed to dry. in the clamp at room temperature, sufiicient pressure being exerted by the clamp to prevent any seepage lof the ink between the edges of the cards. VVhen the color is sufciently dry a burnisher, or burnishing stone, is brought to bear upon the surfaces, and as already stated a higl polish is given to the colored edges, where ever the mixture oI" printeras ink and Varnish has been applied. Burnishers comprising a handle and a broad stone head With a smooth bnrnishing sin-iface thereon are in common use for snnilar purposes and are not there-- fore Specifically illustrated. Burnishing Wheelsf heated or unheated, are also known. The specii'ic form of burnisher employed is not a part of my invention and I make no m Claim to the same, my claim resting upon the discovery that colored inks mixed as described can be burnished and given a high polish.

A card thus produced, With edges thus treated, Will hold its color and in general is superior in finish to the cards heretofore mannfactured. Moreover, the colors are permanent and may be varied in tint at Will.

That I claim is: The process oI" finishing playing cards Which consists in first placing a plurality of decks together to form a column, straightening and clamping said column into a solid block, sending the sides and edges of said block from end to end to render the same perfectly smooth, applying thereto a mixture of colored printerfs ink and clear Varnish7 drying the same at room temperature and finally burnishing the sides and edges of the block and when finished releasing and separating the decks therein.

In testimony Whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

EDXVARD T. BOORMAN. 

